This invention relates to collector panels for the thermal energy emanating from the sun disk. It relates, more particularly, to such panels adapted to heating water, or other fluid substances, pumped through a single, sinuous conduit.
There are many devices in the prior art aimed at the collection of solar energy for water heating and other purposes. Such devices commonly employ planar collector panels over which the fluid to be heated is allowed to flow under gravitational forces in a continuous sheet, or in parallel enclosed passages inclined to the vertical.
The devices of the prior art are generally strongly sensitive to variations in the angle of incidence through the diurnal cycle and require either continuous realignment with the sunlight vector, or sacrifice heating efficiency.
The devices of the prior art are also generally fabricated assemblies in which headers, flow passages, collector surfaces and other components are assemblied into a structure of some complexity and substantial cost.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to teach the construction and use of a solar energy collector adapted to the heating of fluid substances which are simple in construction, require no fabricated flow passages and maintain a constant collection efficiency independent of the angle of incidence of solar radiation.
It is a further object of the invention to teach the construction of a solar collector, as hereinabove described, in which the collecting surface is composed of a continuous length of fluid conveying tubing coiled into a planar toroid.